Iron Neko
by NoZaku
Summary: The story of two Samurai in the land of iron and their quest to uphold their values.


"Waaahwhaawhahuh!" The tiny boy cried to his mother a fierce storm, begging for her was roughed up, bearing scratches to his skin from head to toe and leaves stuck to his clothes. "Oh my! Josuke, what happened to you?!"The mother patted the boy down, wiping the leaves, dirt and blood from his face and limbs."The cat, it, it climbed up the tree in the middle of town and I- I tried getting it down but I fell! The poor cat can't get down now!"The mother was absolutely livid,"Josuke, that tree is the tallest in the town! Boy, what made you think you could climb it huh?"She smacked the young boy furiously in disapproval of his actions, though she couldn't do much to contain her pride in the boy."Josuke, it's great that you want to help others, really. But you need to know your limitations and ask for help when it's needed, okay? If you want to get help, go ask one of the Samurai, and I'm sure one will help you."

Josuke walked outside once more, braving the cold winds of fall that had fallen the Land of Iron. "I can do this. I know I can. I climb trees almost as big as the evergreen all the time! My pride as a man depends on it!"Josuke was a frail boy; most of the girls in his age group were of much bigger stature and weight than him. The evergreen in the village, however, is the tallest object in miles, easily standing over seventy feet tall with a wide and always green canopy of branches. It was early morning when Josuke trekked over to the evergreen with most people still being inside of their brick homes. The houses are on a grid of sorts, with dirt roads being clearly defined on a block to block basis, so there was usually no problems going anywhere. The lights inside of all the housing complexes and shops were off on most proving to Josuke that he was early enough to avoid most prying eyes. With no one around, he began his climb. He grabbed branch by branch, elevating himself a few feet at a time before he was halfway up the tree. "I can see the cat now, perched up on some branches!" Josuke climbed every branch more and more, until he was at arm's length from the cat. Just as he was going to get a grip on the feline his foot slipped on some of the morning dew collected on the branch below his left foot as he fell faster than he could comprehend. "Mama!" was the only word he slipped from his lips before his short life flashed before him as he hit multiple branches on his fast descent, trying to catch any of them to save himself but failing every time. He could see the rapidly incoming floor at the foot of the tree, so he closed his eyes to save himself from the sight of it. His life was over, so he thought.

*thunk*  
Suddenly he felt his small body be latched onto by two arms. Someone had caught Josuke right before his horrible and sudden stop. "Hey kiddo, you really shouldn't be climbing up such a high tree you know. It's bad for your health, and probably your parents. " Josuke cried upon the realization that his mother would have been beyond sad losing the only other man in her life."Hey come on now, don't cry! You're safe, no harm no foul right?"He wiped his tears from his face to look unto his savior. The person that had saved Josuke was none other that a samurai, in the flesh. They were the protectors of the Land of Iron, though admittedly they looked scary from the perspective of a child with their gray respirator and horned helmets. Upon seeing the fright of the child, the samurai moved to remove the helmet to further calm Josuke. Long, straight gray hair and warm amber eyes emerged from underneath, exposing a young woman tall for her age and unusual in their land, copper tanned skin. "There, now my name is Tomoe, what might your's be young boy?" Josuke, taken aback by her beauty and surprised by her gender stuttered to speak,"J-Josuke, oneesan" "Ara, Josuke is it? Would you mind explaining to me what you were doing climbing such a large tree? If it wasn't for you calling out for your mother, I never would have seen you falling to your demise."Josuke winced at the truth she spoke, making note of how direct a Samurai would need to excel in their field."Well, there's a cat stuck near the top of the tree so I-I tried helping it, but I slipped before I could get it down." She squinted looking at the tree, analyzing it for a possible cat. "Boy, would you mind guiding me towards where I should be looking to?"Her face was crunched together with a hand over her eyes trying to focus her vision."Um, sure. It's up on the left side of the tree, near the top. The cat's white."She stayed in the same position, trying to find the animal in question."Oneesan, do you by chance, not see very well?

Tomoe jerked a bit before staying completely silent in the same position as before. "Nonsense Josuke, a samurai like myself having poor eyesight? You underestimate the profession boy!"Footsteps could be heard faintly a few steps behind them before a man came into sight. A samurai, as shown by the same frightening helmet and gray metal armor clanking and clinging ever so slightly to the rhythm of his steps. "Stop bullying her boy, she's as blind as a bat, even if it pains her to admit it." He spoke low and slow, as if there was never any rush in the world. "Tadashi, please don't say such horrible things. If you're going to show that mug of your's make it useful and point me in the right direction, if you would kindly."She spoke low and calm as well, though her voice was deceptively serene."If you ask me, saving a cat isn't a worthy past time for our kind.""Nonsense Tadashi, there's no greater past time for a Samurai than to help our brethren. Directions. Kindly."The Samurai shrugged under his armor to the boy,"What do you think, Josuke was it?Should we waste time helping citizenry in common matters or spend it only on important official business?

Josuke thought back to his now deceased father, and how despite being tired from working at the stone quarry everyday would make time to play with him and his sister. They were kind times to Josuke, and Josuke was kind to the memory of them. "Both." Josuke muttered.

The cold winds of fall blew strongly towards the three, carrying his words to the ears of both samurai. Tadashi stood still, before speaking, "The cat's to your nine 'o clock and about sixty feet up. You might want to aim a little lower, Tomoe, if you don't want to knock the thing down with you."Faster than Josuke could blink Tomoe sprang to the tree, right underneath the cat. She was there faster than the tree could rustle to signal her she was down to the ground just like that, with a white cat in tow. "Here you go, kiddo." She transferred the cat from her arms to his, "be real nice to him okay?"And with that, the two Samurai made their way down the street and inside of one of the shops lining the streets."Breakfast is a little late isn't it Tadashi?"

Josuke made his way back to his house with a new four-legged friend hot on his trail. "Josuke, did you manage to find a Samurai to help you? His mother yelled from across their house. Josuke held the small white cat in his arms; he held him tight to his chest. Smiling with the widest smile he could manage, "I found two."


End file.
